Page 23 of Chosen By the Dragon Alien

Viparia tilted her head, studying Fivra as if she were an intriguing puzzle. Then, with slow deliberation, she crouched again, leaning just enough to bring their faces level. Her golden eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “Oh, my dear, sweet Fivra. How little you understand the heart of a male—especially one like Cyprian.”

Fivra blinked, her gaze dropping self-consciously. “What am I supposed to understand?”

Viparia straightened and began to pace the luxurious wardrobe, trailing a fingertip along the edge of a line of gowns as if choosing her words with the same care someone would choose a gemstone. “Cyprian has been at the helm of this place for longer than most beings in this station have been alive. He’s cunning, calculated, and fierce. But despite all that power, all that…control, I see something in him now that I haveneverseen before.”

“What?” Fivra asked, her voice softer now, her curiosity piqued.

A sly smile curved Viparia’s lips as she turned to face her fully. “Vulnerability.” She let the word hang in the air for a moment, letting its weight press itself into Fivra’s thoughts. “Doyou know how rare it is for a male like Cyprian to expose even the smallest crack in his armor? To admit his emotions—let alone act on them? And for you, no less.” Her gaze dropped to Fivra’s chest with an expression of bafflement. “Your breasts aresovery small.”

Fivra flushed, the warmth crawling up her neck and into her cheeks. “He doesn’t act vulnerable,” she said, ignoring the comment about her chest. It was impossible to compare herself to a female with six full, bouncing breasts.

“Of course, he doesn’t,” Viparia said with a breezy laugh. “He’s the director, darling. They have to project strength—it’s part of the job, you know. But you…” She stepped closer, her voice dipping into something almost conspiratorial, “You’ve made himwant. Do you have any idea how dangerous that makes you?”

Fivra blinked, caught off guard. “Dangerous?” she echoed, frowning deeply. “I’m not dangerous, Viparia. I’m—”

“—a female who holds sway over a dragon male,” Viparia interrupted smoothly, her eyes sharp. “Don’t underestimate what that means, little one. Cyprian’s fire burns for you. Not for the glitteringcourtiaswho surround him, not for the wealth and power he’s worked centuries to secure, but foryou. That makes you the most dangerous creature in his world.”

The words settled around Fivra like an unfamiliar cloak—one she wasn’t sure how to wear. She hugged her knees tighter. Her gaze flickered to a display of shimmering tiaras as if they held some answers. She wanted to believe Viparia’s assessment, to take comfort in the idea that someone like Cyprian could care about her deeply and genuinely. But doubts clawed at her. Could it really be true? Or was she somehow misreading everything?

Viparia seemed to sense the confusion in her thoughts. Thecourtiasighed extravagantly and dropped gracefully onto a plush ottoman beside Fivra, her arms draping over its edgeslike languid vines. “Fivra, let me be blunt with you. Cyprian could have chosen anycourtiain Erovik if it was merely about indulgence or fleeting infatuation. But he hasn’t. And he won’t. He wants you.”

Fivra swallowed hard, her fingers twisting the hem of her robe. “I still don’t get it,” she whispered, her voice laced with vulnerability she hadn’t meant to betray. “Why me?”

Viparia’s expression softened. Her predatory edge receded as warmth seeped into her gaze. “Sometimes, darling, a heart recognizes something it needs before the mind can grasp it. Many, many males have fallen in love with me, so I know what it looks like.” She smirked faintly, leaning closer as she added, “I’ve never been in love myself, but if Ihad…” She waved a hand. “I would have followed them anywhere. Left this place in a heartbeat and hadscadsof babies. My species births four to six offspring at a time, you know.”

Fivra, to her credit, kept her gaze on Viparia’s face. “I believe you.”

“Then believe this—when a male like Cyprian chooses, it’s not something done lightly. His heart is a stubborn thing.”

Fivra opened her mouth to reply, but Viparia held up a hand and cocked her head, listening. “They’re coming down the hall.” Her voice turned cool. “Get far back in here and don’t move. Don’t make a sound.”

Fivra scrambled to her feet, panic constricting her breath as Viparia’s sharp tone broke through her thoughts. Without a second’s hesitation, she ducked deeper into the wardrobe, weaving her way past swathes of shimmering gowns and elaborate wigs. She wedged herself into a narrow alcove lined with cascading jewels and a startling number of feathered headdresses, her breath shallow as the muted sound of Viparia’s heels faded behind the closed door.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she crouched low, pulling a satin garment over her legs to conceal any trace of herself. The soft material was hardly armor against her fear, but it was all she had. The darkened enclave of gem-toned fabrics felt suffocating yet oddly protective.

She heard the door to Viparia’s quarters slide open with a gentle hiss, and Fivra’s heart stopped. She was glad she could hear through the layers of gauzy dresses and the wall to her left that divided the wardrobe from the main room of the suite.

“Ah, how bold of the Axis to come knocking without an invitation,” Viparia’s sultry voice cooed, dripping with amusement. “I suppose even the most powerful must lower themselves to bell-ringers from time to time.”

A deep, metallic voice followed, devoid of warmth or mirth. “I am Xryvos, Axis Inspector #449-12S. My entourage and I are here to ensure compliance.” His tone was sharp, like the echo of a blade sliding from its sheath. The distinct sound of boots stepping into the room sent a shiver down Fivra’s spine.

“Compliance?” Viparia purred, the faint creak of leather accompanying her voice as she probably perched herself onto one of her ottomans. Even without seeing her, Fivra could picture every calculated motion, every deliberate flick of her hand. “Such a dull word to bring into a room as vibrant as mine. Shall I pour us a drink to liven it up?”

“Your hospitality,” the inspector said coldly, each syllable clipped and careful, “is unnecessary. I am here to verify reports concerning a recent acquisition from Falmic-5. A Terian female. I require immediate access to all spaces where personnel may be within this facility.”

“Oh, there’s no need to hunt, darling,” Viparia said, her voice blooming with feigned distress. “Tiny thing with pink hair? That female didn’t last long here. She just wasn’t cut out to be acourtia.”

“Are you saying she is no longer here?”

“I really wouldn’t know,” Viparia answered airily. “I haven’t seen the little snip in several cycles. Of course, I haven’t been looking. I’m the most in-demandcourtiaat Erovik.”

Xryvos sighed impatiently. “Step aside so I may search your quarters.”

“Ah, dear inspector, Erovik is all about discretion. You see, our…esteemed patrons would take grave offense if they thought representatives of the Axis were snooping about their favorite playground. And we wouldn’t want to upset our patrons, would we?”

The silence that followed was thick, tense, but Fivra could practically feel thecourtia’ssmile radiating through the walls of fabric that concealed her. Viparia was weaving the conversation with the skill of a seasonedcourtia, pulling the threads of flirtation and threat into a web that even an Axis inspector would tread carefully through.

“I will not be deterred from my task,” Xryvos finally said, sounding irritated. “If you have nothing to hide, then you will not object to my search.”

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